Lithopedia
'Blood Sorcery' Lithopedia is a kind of Blood Sorcery, like Crúac and Theban Sorcery. It can only be learned by members of the Család bloodline. All iterations of Blood Sorcery have five themes: Creation, Divination, Destruction, Protection, Transmutation. The first dot of Blood Sorcery grants two dots of Themes linked to that type of Sorcery, as well as a dot in the player's choice of the other three. Every time the character gains a new dot of the discipline itself, an extra dot is gained in a Theme the character already knows. Theme dots may be bought independently of the Ritual Discipline for 15 beats each. If a character somehow learns another variation of Blood Sorcery the Theme dots she already has at equal to or lower level than the new Discipline are usable with it, but she only gains one extra Theme dot rather than three when first learning the new Discipline. 'Lithopedia' Linked Themes: '''Creation and Transmutation '''Sacrifice: All uses of Lithopedia cost one Vitae per dot in the highest Theme of the rite. The first Vitae is absorbed by the caster as though fuelling a Discipline. Any remaining Vitae used must leave the ritualist's body and be used in the ritual's casting, usually by means of a self-inflicted wound. Dice Pools: *''Improvised:'' Presence + Occult + Theme *''Creation: Manipulation + Survival + Creation *''Destruction: ''Manipulation + Intimidation + Destruction *''Divination: ''Composure + Investigation + Divination *''Protection: ''Composure + Stealth + Protection *''Transmutation: ''Presence + Streetwise + Transmutation The target number of successes is the total Theme dots used in the ritual (not just the highest), adjusted according to any Ritual Factors. '''Motif': Inherited, territorial, intimate. Inherited: ''Lithopedia relies on the delicate links of Blood sympathy. It can be learned only by members of the Család bloodline, and only those close enough to share Blood sympathy with Hunyadi Dorján, the bloodline's founder. The usual bonuses from natural Blood sympathy are doubled, though those from artificial or induced Blood sympathy are not. ''Territorial: ''Lithopedia rituals are all based upon the concept of the user's 'territory' - the parts of a city she claims for her own and has come to regard as an extension of her own body. Further, the blood magic can be performed only within a character's own haven or a site of supernatural significance such as a Wyrm's Nest. The Size of her Beast limits the amount of territory she can control: At BP 1 a room, at BP 2 a building, at BP 3 a city block, at BP 4 a domain (such as Lassiter), at BP 5 three domains, at BP 6 a district (such as Northside), at BP 7 a burrough (such as Arkham), and at BP 8 the entire Metropolitan area. Ritual Factors can never raise the Area of Effect above this Blood Potency cap. ''Intimate: ''The Család and her territory become a single linked entity, proven repeatedly in ritual castings when the caster stabs her own shadow with a ceremonial weapon, bringing her own Vitae welling up from the ground rather than from her body. Any ritual with a target other than the caster or her territory requires the Család to spend a Willpower point in addition to the Vitae. 'Existing Rituals''' • Lair of the Beast (Transmutation •) : The Predator's Taint comes into effect when an unknown Kindred enters the territory or is in the territory when the ritual activates, affecting both caster and interloper despite their not being face to face. •• Taste the Land (Divination ••) : This ritual allows the caster to sense what is happening within the territory. This uses the system for sensing the activities of a blood relative, and by default gives a communal response for the mortal population. By spending a Willpower point, the sense can be focused onto a selected individual, including other Kindred. •• The Lord's Ire (Creation ••) : This ritual allows the caster to send emotional information rather than receive. As above it uses the Blood sympathy system, with a Wits + Occult roll. Focusing the effect onto a single target costs a Willpower point. ••• Direct the Land (Creation •, Transmutation •••) : By manipulating the link between the land and the caster in subtler ways than mere emotional impulses, the ritualist can gain a subliminal level of control over the mortals within the territory. This ritual grants the caster a temporary bonus to Influence equal to the ritual's Potency. ••• Territory's Mark (Transmutation •••) : This ritual targets a particular site within the caster's territory, giving her a bonus for rolls involving one thematically linked skill (such as a nightclub for Socialize, or a library for Academics) equal to the ritual's Potency. ••• Kin to the Land (Transmutation •••) : The blood - mortal and Kindred alike - present in the land reacts to the ritualist's Vitae. For the duration of the effect, all characters in the territory count as 'relatives' for purposes of the Discipline bonus such relationships allow. The ritual does not duplicate any other effects of Blood sympathy, and the bonus it accords is not doubled in the way of natural Blood sympathy bonuses. •••• Tie to the Land (Creation ••••, Transmutation •) : Everyone in the area of effect temporarily gains a stage of Vinculum as though they had tasted the ritualist's blood. If this brings them to the third stage they can resist as normal. ••••• Servant of the Land (Creation •••••, Transmutation ••••) : With the additional expenditure of a point of Willpower, this ritual allows the caster to 'invest' Vitae into a target as though she had fed it to him directly, with all the effects of creating Vinculum stages, causing hunger frenzies, and turning mortal targets into ghouls that would normally take place. Kindred reflexively resist with Composure + Blood Potency. This ritual removes Vitae equal to the ritual's Potency from the caster, temporarily reducing the total possible Vitae she is able to hold by a corresponding amount, and transfers it to the target. The duration of effect may be ended prematurely if the target completely empties his Vitae pool. Ritually-imposed Vitae points are always considered to be the last ones remaining in the target. Common Ritual Factors are Duration and Range. Category:Lithopedia Category:Blood Sorcery Category:Unique Disciplines Category:Translations